Conservancy Protects World's Natural Diversity

By CARLEY AMICO
Staff Writer
 
WHEELING – For Steven McCormick, president and chief executive officer of The Nature Conservancy, successful conservation comes from an approach that is "focused, disciplined and dedicated. Our outlook is that roughly 10 percent of the world's natural diversity is in some form of protected status," he said. "Most of the world's biological diversity is unprotected." The challenge, he said, comes from the urgency to tackle that remaining 90 percent.

McCormick

The Conservancy's mission is to find ways to preserve important places and the often rare and endangered plants and animals in them. Nothing will be accomplished if the organization tries to do everything at once, he said. That's where the "focused, disciplined, and dedicated" philosophy comes in.

 The organization must evaluate its inventory of lands that are in need of protection and carefully select the most vital and viable lands to pursue.

 "We're very focused in what we work on," McCormick said. "We want to protect them in a way that ensures long-term viability."

The method the Conservancy uses for protecting key lands is one of "collaboration, not confrontation," he said. Many of the organization's projects are partnerships with government agencies, private land owners, and businesses including utilities.

 Many times, the conservancy approaches land owners and other groups with ideas that will benefit them while also preserving natural habitats.

Smoke Hole Canyon deep in West Virginia's untouched territory Conservancy protects world's natural diversity Stifel family stewards of property for decades Island donated to conservation effort Nature Conservancy enforces rules for visiting preserves Stifel reflects on rustic Smoke Hole wilderness retreat Preserves across West Virginia Volunteers help preserve, maintain W.Va. sites Conservancy's mission is to protect America's wilderness heritage Conservancy works to protect diversity of lands, plants, animals worldwide A sample of Nature Conservancy areas throughout the nation

 "We look for solutions " we look for collaboration, not confrontation," McCormick said. "We are very respectful of the values and aspirations of the local community." This is not only an effective method for preserving the world's "last great places," it coincides with the organization's belief that people need nature.

 "The Nature Conservancy is very realistic in our outlook," he said. "We preserve biological diversity for the benefits of the people." From providing timber to protecting against erosion-related natural disasters and keeping the climate stable, natural places do many important things for humans. When there are "stable natural systems" present, economic conditions are usually strong, McCormick said.

 "We exist as humans because of the durability of the natural world," he said.
 
And where natural systems are destroyed — such as places in South America where "slash and burn" practices have eliminated forests — economies and even civilizations are debilitated.
 
Then there's a less tangible reason natural places are important to people. It's not easy to define, McCormick said, but it is the reason people do things such as keep plants inside their homes.
 
"There is a connection (between people and nature) that is immeasurable," he said.
 
While conservation methods of the past focused on completely separating natural places from human use and development, he said, the future of conservation lies in preserving special lands in a way that allows human interaction.
 
McCormick said The Nature Conservancy wants to facilitate "growth that doesn't disrupt the natural landscape." And for each piece of land the Conservancy works to protect, many important plants and animals are also protected. The organization does not simply seek to save a rare plant or animal by preserving its habitat. Instead, it works to preserve eco-systems that serve as habitats for many special plants and animals.
 
This is a more efficient and effective approach, McCormick said.
 
"At the Conservancy, we really are focused on layer systems," he said.
 The organization keeps an inventory of lands that are unique and need to be protected. But sometimes, something happens to those lands before the Conservancy is able to preserve them.
 
"It's not uncommon for us ... to find that an area is no longer viable," he said.
 
Even a new road through a potential preserve can lower its quality by dividing the habitat, introducing invasive species, and encouraging more development.
 
And when this happens, he said, it can't be undone.
 
"If a natural habitat is lost, it's lost forever ... there's no way to reassemble that," McCormick said.
 
While many people understand how human development can harm a natural area, a major threat that many people are not aware of is invasive species. Anything from Asian grasses to zebra mussels can make its way into an eco-system and soon dominate it, wiping out important local species.
 
There are effective methods for stopping the growth of invasive species, but many times, these plants and animals aren't discovered until it's too late.

 "Once they become pervasive, they're virtually impossible to eradicate," he said.

 And with the increased "globalization" of the world's economy, the battle against invasive species is something The Nature Conservancy finds itself fighting more and more.

 People who want to help the Conservancy can make a donation, McCormick said. But a visit to a nearby preserve would be just as helpful, he said, because it will grow public awareness of what the organization does.

"In most states we're likely to have a project within fairly minimal driving distance," he said. "We encourage people to go out and see our projects." The organization sometimes needs volunteers. Anyone who wants to help the organization in this way can get in touch with the state chapter, he said.